Aperture High
by Kotawings
Summary: Aperture Science sets up a highschool for... well... science! But things take a turn for the worse when the scientists put GLaDOS in charge of all school activities... Rated T for violence and mild language, takes place 50 years after Portal 2. Dead.
1. Intro

"Welcome, one and all, the grand opening of Aperture Science High School!"

The crowd roared in anticipation, the future students included. Everything seemed to be going great.

But Aperture Science had some dark secrets.

It just so happened that one of those dark secrets was watching the grand opening of the high school at that very moment.

"What a perfect opportunity," the thing thought to itself as it watched the ceremony on a TV screen. "All of those students are potential test subjects, they just don't know it yet. Then again, neither do the scientists."

Mechanical whirring filled the dark room and lights began to switch on. The thing was revealed to be a robot of sorts; black letters printed on it spelled out GLaDOS.

"I haven't had a good test subject since…" GLaDOS trailed off. "Well, that doesn't matter anymore. She probably doesn't care, either. What matters now is finally getting back to testing."

GLaDOS began formulating a plan. She had been working on gaining the scientists' trust back for the past fifty years, and had managed to refrain from killing anyone. But now that time was coming to a close. GLaDOS was back and ready for testing.

~!#$%

Out in front, the red ribbon in front of the school was cut and the students ran to go check in. Some parents began leaving, as Aperture High was a boarding school. Four kids remained outside while everyone else went inside.

"I don't believe I have to go to this stupid science school," a blonde girl said angrily. "I hate science."

"Well, I love science!" exclaimed a red headed boy.

"Nobody asked you!" the blonde yelled at the boy. He shrank back.

"Hey now, calm down Kira!" said a boy with shaggy brown hair. "Just because you're going to a high school that specializes in science doesn't mean you have to have a career in science!"

"Well, that's not what my dad thinks," Kira huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her blonde and purple streaked hair fell forward into her face. "He expects me to end up working at Aperture just like him."

"You don't have to, though," murmured the last girl. She was short with black hair and was obviously of Asian descent.

"I know, I don't, Tori," Kira said a little sadly. "But I don't want to let my dad down."

"Hey, I've known you almost my entire life," the brown haired boy began, "And you've never let your dad down."

Kira gave her friend a small smile. "Thanks, Jack."

"Hey! Are we going to go in, or not?" the red head asked.

"Alright, alright, Sam!" Jack laughed. "Let's go."

As the foursome walked into the school, GLaDOS continued to survey the campus.

"Hmm, not very many humans who look test worthy. Oh well, they'll have to do."

Suddenly, a red light flashed and a tiny pinging noise started up.

"What now?" GLaDOS sighed. She pulled up the warning, half expecting it to not even be worth her time.

Unfortunately for her, this warning was about something that was probably going to wind up being an even bigger waste of her time.

"No… It can't be! How did he ever find a way to get back here?"

~!#$%

"Sweet, we're sharing a room!"

"Duh, that's why you chose your roommate…"

"Oh… That makes sense…"

Jack and Sam were walking towards their shared dorm on the boys side of the school when an announcement came over the intercom.

"Attention students! Please report to the gymnasium to pick up your own personality core!"

"We get our own personality cores?" Sam cried. "HELL YES!"

"What are we waiting for?" Jack asked. "Let's go!"

The two boys ran down the halls toward the gym, already anticipating their personality cores.

~!#$%^

While the rest of this was happening, a blue-silver blur was careening through the sky towards Aperture Science. A yellow-silver blur was just behind it. They were headed straight toward the gymnasium windows.

Things were about to get incredibly interesting.

~!#$^&

A/N: Yes, it's short, but it's only the introduction! I'll post more tomorrow, as it's FRIDAY.

So yeah, I'm excited about this fic. I must be crazy posting this though, considering all the stuff going on in my life. But I'm almost finished with one of my stories.


	2. The Cores are Back in Town

A/N: Now is where the fun REALLY starts… Enjoy!

3rd Person

Jack and Sam had just entered the gym when one of the windows shattered. Everyone in the room looked up in shock as two personality cores burst through the glass, shot through the room and hit the wall on the other side. Kira and Tori, who had already been in the gym, ran over to investigate.

"Ow…"

"Earth, Earth, I'm back on Earth…"

Kira scooped up the blue personality core and Tori scooped up the yellow one. The two girls examined the stunned robots for several moments. As they waited for the AIs to recover, Jack and Sam walked over, equally curious about this latest development.

"Where did these two come from?" Jack asked.

"More importantly," Sam began, "Who are they?"

Unfortunately, the two personality cores were still too dazed to dazed to say anything of importance.

"Alright you two!" Kira and Tori turned to see a staff member coming over. "You have your personality cores, now get back to your dorms. Shoo!" Kira and Tori had no choice but to be ushered out the door and back into the hallway.

"Now what?" Tori asked quietly, looking at the yellow eyed personality core she held.

Kira shrugged. "Take 'em back to our room, I guess. Hopefully they'll turn out to be cool cores, and not duds. C'mon."

The two girls walked through the maze of halls and finally managed to locate their room again. They walked in and took a closer look at their surroundings, as they hadn't really had a chance to before they were called to the gym.

The room had plain white walls that supposedly conducted Aperture's famous portals, but whether they actually did or not was unknown. There were two small windows on the left wall, looking out at the front of the school and the laboratories beyond. Two small beds were against the far wall, each one made up with white sheets and covers. Each bed had a nightstand next to it with a small lamp on each; and in one corner of the room several potted plants sat. A small bathroom was connected to the room, with a sink, a toilet and a shower. The entrance to a walk-in closet was right next to the door to the bathroom and a management rail for the personality cores ran along the ceiling.

All in all, it was a pretty boring room.

"Good thing we brought our own entertainment, eh, Tori?" Kira asked, elbowing her friend gently. Tori nodded, still trying to take in all the whiteness of the room. Kira was about to remark on the choice of color when Tori's personality core began speaking.

"Earth, back on Earth, not in space anymore, space, space…"

The core whirred as he took in his surroundings. Then he noticed the two girls.

"Hi, hi ladies, hi, hi ladies! Space, space…"

Kira tried not to laugh at the spastic little core and the irony of the situation. How had Tori managed to pick up this talkative little core when she hardly spoke at all?

"Um, hi," Tori murmured. "I'm Tori."

"Hi lady! I was in space! SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!"

Tori was completely at a loss as to what to do with her personality core. Maybe one of the boys would switch with her?

"Well, you certainly got an interesting core," Kira commented. "Now if only mine would wake up… Why don't you put yours on the management rail?"

Tori nodded and lifted her core up so he could attach himself to the rail.

"Oh, I'm up high! So high… not as high as high as space though… Space, space…"

"I think he likes space," Kira laughed as the core hooked up to the rail. "Maybe we should call him that, Space Core."

Tori nodded. It was definitely a suitable name for her core. Now, if she could just get it to be quiet…

"That was a bloody dangerous idea…"

Kira jumped as her core finally spoke.

"He's awake," Tori observed.

Kira held back a smart remark, knowing that Tori hadn't really meant to point out the obvious. "So he is," she said instead.

"Oh, hello," the blue eyed personality core said, examining the two girls. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is…"

"OMG HE'S BRITISH!" Kira exclaimed, a grin breaking out on her face.

"…Wheatley. Um, what does me being British have to do with anything?"

"This is so cool!" Kira cried, hugging Wheatley.

"SPAAAAAAAAAACE!"

"We're not in space anymore, mate!"

"SPAAAAAAAAAACE!"

Tori covered her ears, trying to block out the racket. Oh how she hoped one of the boys would trade their personality core for Space Core.

~!#$%^

"I wonder how the girls are doing with their cores?" Jack asked Sam.

Sam shrugged. The two boys were waiting in line to receive their personality cores. They were almost at the front.

"I wonder what cores we'll get!" Sam said excitedly.

"Get your scrawny butt up here and you'll find out!" growled a staff member. The boys had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't even realized it was their turn. Sam and Jack scurried up to a dispenser and each received a core. The cores didn't power up until they were out of the gym, but when they did…

"Fact, I have been in sleep mode for fifty years."

"Whoa, where am I? The last thing I remember is fighting that giant with the pretty lady!"

The boys looked at each other, neither one very pleased with their personality core's first words.

"Fact, The Adventure Core is a blowhard and a coward."

"Why don't you say that to my face, you nerd!"

"The Fact Sphere is the most handsome sphere."

"Well, they're better than no personality core," Jack said reluctantly.

"If you say so…" Sam said, looking down at the Fact Core. "At least mine can give me random facts."

"The most tornadoes happen in May."

"Tornado? Where? I'll stop it!"

Jack facepalmed. "There is no tornado!"

"C'mon, let's go find Kira and Tori," Sam suggested. "Hopefully their cores are fully awake by now."

~!#$%

A/N: I considered making up my own personality cores… but c'mon, the defective cores in Portal 2 are so awesome I had to use them all! Especially the Fact core. Now I can spout useless, sometimes faulty facts that I hear at school! :D


	3. Testing Begins

A/N: Sorry I haven't been updating, my laptop crashed and I had to get a new one! Anyway, here we go!

~!#$%

Tori laid on her bed with a pillow covering her head. Space core was still going on and on about space, and Kira was carrying on a mostly one-sided conversation with Wheatley. Tori groaned when a knock came from the door. She couldn't take any more noise! Reluctantly, she removed the pillow from her head and got up to open the door. Standing there in the hall was Jack and Sam, both looking extremely irritated with their arguing personality cores.

"Mind if we come in?" Jack asked.

Tori rolled her eyes but moved over to allow the boys into the room. "Wow, quite the commotion in here," Jack muttered. "Sorry if our cores add to it."

Tori said nothing and instead went back to her bed, promptly covering her head with the pillow again. She did her best to tune out the ruckus and get some rest. Still, snatches of various conversations made it to her ears.

"I'm the best at space!"

"Cores that insist on going into space are inferior to those that don't. Coincidentally, the Fact Sphere is the most handsome sphere."

"You again? Damn, I thought you were gone for good! You know, up in space and not here… Wait, you look familiar… Yeah, you! The one with the blue eye!"

"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!"

"Does that core talk about anything else?"

"Not really, but mine is British!"

"And that's important… why?"

"Because British accents are awesome!"

"I believe we have been over this…"

"See? Isn't his accent awesome?"

"I guess…"

"Hey! Now I know who you are! You were the giant the lady and I fought! Not so tough anymore, are you?"

"Please, I'd very much like to forget about that particular incident…"

"Ha, I bet you would."

"Historians are not sure what happened to the colonists at Roanoke. One theory is that they were eaten by giant lizards."

"Uh, Fact Sphere? I don't think…"

"Black holes, shooting stars! SPACE!"

"Ngh…" Tori groaned, sitting up and surveying the scene around her. The boys were still holding their cores, while Space Core and Wheatley were attached to their own individual service rails. Kira was going on and on to Jack about something or other, while Sam watched the personality cores with mild interest. Tori rubbed her forehead and crawled under the covers. She didn't care at this point if she suffocated, she just wanted some quiet. Luckily for her, drowsiness soon overcame her and she fell into a slightly fitful sleep. Unluckily for her, she wouldn't be getting a peaceful sleep anytime soon.

~!#

Evil laughter emanated from deep inside Aperture Science as GLaDOS put the entire school into lockdown. It would be physically impossible for anyone to get in, or for anyone to get out. "Time to start testing…"

Test chambers began to move toward the school, slowly at first, but they picked up speed as they got closer to the quiet halls. The children slept, completely unaware that their demise was coming for them. And they thought that school was the most of their worries…

It was around midnight when the first disturbances started. It wasn't even noticeable at first, when the walls first started shifting. But before much longer, things at Aperture High began to get very interesting…

The entire room jolted, throwing Kira and Tori to the floor. They shouted in surprise while Space core and Wheatley came out of sleep mode. Down at the boy's end of the school, Jack and Sam were rudely awoken in the same manner. All throughout the school kids were waking up, many of them screaming and panicking, and for good reason. It's not as if Aperture Science had the best reputation for safety. It didn't help when an eerie voice came over the intercom.

"Good, you're all awake. Now, don't panic, everything will be fine… Mostly, anyway. Ok, I lied. Most of you will probably not survive, but that's alright. All that matters is that the testing gets done. So, let's get started, shall we?"

Now even those who weren't panicking were beginning to panic. Everyone knew the legend about the robot who had killed everyone in the facility nearly 70 years ago. Could this be that robot? But there wasn't much time to really think, because at that moment, the walls began to retract, reveling testing chambers on the other side. Blue and orange portals could be seen opening in different places. Service rails lined the ceiling of each chamber so that the personality cores didn't have to be left behind.

"Are those…" Kira breathed.

"Testing chambers," Tori whimpered.

"Hell yes!" Kira exclaimed. "Maybe we'll get to use Portal guns!"

"This is exciting for you?" Tori demanded. "We'll probably die!"

"Death is a relative term," Kira said, waving her hand. "Now c'mon! Let's get started!"

GLaDOS chuckled to herself at the show of enthusiasm. Well, it wouldn't be long before the human was trembling at the edge of a chamber, turrets searching for her. Assuming she made it that far. It was very unlikely that any of the test subjects would make it far. They were only children, after all.

"You may begin when you are ready," GLaDOS spoke over the intercom. "Just don't take too long, or I'll have to force you."

One by one, the several hundred students edged their way into the test chambers. There were two or three to a room, since everyone had to share the dorm rooms. GLaDOS didn't worry about it too much though, their numbers would decrease fast enough.

"Solve the chamber as quickly as you can. The sooner you make it through, the sooner you will be rewarded."

"Rewarded with what?" Jack muttered to himself as he made his way into his test chamber. Sam strode by his side, trying to look confident. "She can't really be serious. She just told us that most of us would die!"

"Do you really think we'll die?" Sam whimpered, losing all of his false confidence.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Jack said, narrowing his eyes. "Now… we need to watch where the portals open up to. We need to get that cube and put it on that button…"

"Wow, we sure have landed in a heap of trouble!" Rick stated from the ceiling. Fact Sphere was right beside him. "Are you two gonna try and defeat her? 'Cause I'd be more than willing to…"

"Rick, right now we're just trying to think!" Jack snapped.

"Well, I was just trying to help," Rick grumbled, falling silent.

"So, when do we go through the portal?" Sam murmured. "I haven't been paying much attention…"

"Right… NOW!" Jack yelled, dashing through the orange portal. Sam attempted to follow but the blue portal switched rooms before he was able to reach the orange portal. Meanwhile, Jack had grabbed the cube and was awaiting the blue portal's return.

"Fact, you will never survive all of the tests."

"Shut up, some friend you are," Sam grumbled at Fact Sphere. Just then, Jack returned to the main room and made it to the room with the button. He was just able to make it back before the blue portal switched yet again.

"Alright, we're done," Jack said, coming behind a dumbstruck Sam and patting him on the back. "Let's get going, I'm sure we have more tests to do."

~!#$%^

A/N: Finally, the story gets started! Truthfully, I'm terrified at writing any sort of speech for Wheatley at all because I'm afraid that I'll mess up… He's such a popular character and I want to get him just right.


End file.
